Local officials don’t seem as concerned as the state about injection well
A salt water injection well for D & L Energy (Uber Well 1 at State Route 82 and Warner Road S.E., a 9,000-ft pressurized well) is in final permit approval stage by ODNR. This is not a natural gas production well that would create jobs and wealth for the area. Residents near the proposed Class II toxic brine injection site support responsible production drilling for natural gas and do not want to be confused with anti-fracking groups. This well will dump toxic brine water from out of state and in-state into a residential area, with over 2,800 residents within a 3-mile radius and 800 within a 1-mile radius. Only private well water is available and this is on a potential earthquake fault line. Remember Youngstown’s 4.0 earthquake and D & L?
ODNR has heard and read residents’ requests and has advised a formal public hearing regarding potential health, safety and seismic activity will be held at a time and location to be determined. We thank state Rep. Sean O’Brien and state Sen. Capri Cafaro, who do not support this specific well’s residential location based upon constituent concerns. Residents remain cautiously optimistic on the denial of the permit, even though the state will earn $10,500 daily per 9,000- foot well, based upon current state tax rates for 84,000 gallons per day every day. These tax funds go to fund ODNR and not the state general fund, county or townships. It seems like a conflict of interest allowing ODNR to permit and receive tax funds for wells they alone approve.
Why are Brookfield and Vienna trustees not opposed to this injection well? Potential private well water contamination is a public safety issue, especially if this well is on the same Youngstown fault line as the state-closed D & L Energy Youngstown injection well.
Residents may or may not be successful in having the permit denied, but at least state elected and ODNR officials have granted our request for review of this residentially located injection well. Of course, D & L Energy could be a good neighbor and withdraw its permit application and work with township trustees for more appropriate locations in the townships.
John and Linda Chewning, Brookfield
Phil and Marge DoBay, Brookfield